News Releases

Feb122018

(Washington, D.C.) –Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued a statement on reports confirming that the Department of Education is officially refusing to respond to complaints filed by transgender students under Title IX law.

“I had hoped that Secretary DeVos and President Trump would have listened to common sense and people across the country who have been pleading for all students to be protected no matter who they are, who they love, or how they identify—but I am deeply disappointed and disgusted by this Administration’s callousness.

“The Department of Education’s refusal to protect transgender students violates federal law and is another moral failure by this Administration. Choosing to ignore the rights of transgender students and to not enforce Title IX when it comes to their protection is an unambiguous step backwards for civil rights in this country.

“All students should be able to feel safe in school. They should be able to focus on their studies without fear of being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against. I will continue to fight for students’ rights, for fair enforcement of the laws that keep them safe, and against President Trump and his Administration’s failures to enforce student protections like Title IX.”